Good Food with Evan Kleiman: The American Grilled Cheese Sandwich

April is National Grilled Cheese Month! Evan Kleiman has Laura Werlin, author of Great Grilled Cheese, on the show to talk about the history of this sandwich and to share a few recipes. What's your favorite version of grilled cheese?

There are two possible origin stories for our beloved grilled cheese sandwich according to Laura Werlin. One is that it was a British open-faced sandwich of bread and cheese briefly toasted under the broiler, which the Brits call a "grill." The other story gives credit to the Kraft Cheese Company, which popularized the stove-top version with their perfectly shaped and perfectly melty single-slice American cheese.

Werlin also points out the almost every culture that has dairy as part of their diet also has some version of a grilled cheese sandwich. The Mexicans have quesadillas, the French have the croque monsieur, and the Italians have paninis. Even the Welsh have rarebit, which Werlin describes as "grilled cheese meets fondue"!

So is there a definitive All-American Grilled Cheese Sandwich? Werlin gives nostalgia points to the Kraft Cheese and Wonderbread version that featured heavily in many of our childhood meals, but beyond that, it's all about what you love. These days, Werlin prefers grilled cheeses made with American artisan cheese and high quality bread to match.

What kind of grilled cheese do you go for: old-fashioned or fancied-up?

• Listen to the entire interview and hear the rest of this episode of Good Food on the Good Food website!

Emma is the recipe editor for The Kitchn and a graduate of the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts. She is the author of True Brews and Brew Better Beer (Spring 2015). Check out her personal blog for more cooking stories.